How we bill for takeoffs & consulting.
Every takeoff is billed against a published minimum or a per-square-foot rate, and every deposit on a large project is credited straight back to the final invoice.
Our rates sit above discount takeoff services on purpose. The work is done by a Construction Management degree holder with 35+ years in the trades — someone who set tile, ran his own contracting business, and priced the jobs he built. You are not paying for a junior takeoff tech working from a template.
Every takeoff fee below includes your Excel deliverable (printout or import-ready file). Business consulting and custom trade workbooks are billed separately — see sections 04 & 05.
01 · Job minimums (≤4,000 SF) · JVI Design — Fee Schedule · JVI-300 · Sheet 01 of 02
| Scope | Minimum | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 SF | $650 | Flat minimum, any covered division |
| 1,501–4,000 SF | $850 | Flat minimum, or $0.08–$0.14/SF — whichever is higher |
02 · Large & high-detail projects (≥4,100 SF) · Sheet 02 of 02
| Scope | Rate | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Plan intake deposit | $250 | Non-refundable upfront, 100% credited to the final invoice on approval |
| Standard commercial | $0.06–$0.08/SF | Painting or resilient flooring, flat wall/floor scopes |
| Luxury custom / full RCP | $0.10–$0.16/SF | T&G ceilings, beams, cladding, ceramic/porcelain tile & hardwood |
| Public works premium | +$0.02–$0.04/SF | Added for prevailing-wage certified payroll & spec audits |
An account service retainer is available for ongoing, multi-project accounts — ask for details.
03 · Hourly rates
Takeoff & estimating
$125/hr
Post-submission revisions, addenda, RFI drafting and scope changes outside a flat-fee minimum.
Business consulting
$225/hr
Ad-hoc overhead audits, rate-strategy coaching and custom spreadsheet work outside a package.
04 · Contractor pricing system packages
If your bids are priced by feel instead of a real burdened labor rate, we build the model with you — not just hand you numbers. This is a one-time setup: the audit, the live Excel model, and the walkthrough that leaves your office running it without us.
Built for small and mid-size commercial and residential contractors — including crews stepping into the public-works sector for the first time, where a burdened rate and a defensible bid structure stop being optional.
Package A
Core labor burden & rate buildout
Full audit of payroll taxes, workers’ comp, benefits and non-productive time; a live Excel labor-rate calculator built on your actual numbers, yours to keep and reuse on every bid; plus a walkthrough session so your office can run it without us.
| Field employees | One-time fee |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | $3,250 |
| 6–15 | $4,550 |
| 16+ or multi-trade | From $5,850 |
Package B
Full overhead & bidding system
Everything in Package A, plus a complete P&L and overhead audit, burden-rate mapping across crews, margin strategy, and a custom bidding & unit-price spreadsheet built around your overhead and margin targets — with strategy sessions through the buildout.
| Field employees | One-time fee |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | $6,500 |
| 6–15 | $9,750 |
| 16+ or multi-entity | From $13,000 |
Tiers are set by field headcount because that is what drives the work — pay classifications, burden variance and crew mix. Top-tier engagements are scoped on a call before we quote.
Refresh, rebuild & review · Setup is one-time
| No. | Service | Fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Annual refresh — Package A model | $850 | Wages, comp mod, benefit costs and non-productive time re-run through your existing model |
| 02 | Annual refresh — Package B model | $1,550 | Rate refresh plus overhead and margin targets re-checked against your current P&L |
| 03 | Triggered rebuild | $225/hr | Added trade, new entity, first public-works job, or growth into a new headcount tier. Two-hour minimum, credited toward a full package if the change warrants one |
| 04 | Second-opinion review | $600 | You built your own rate sheet and want it audited — written findings list included |
The setup is one-time, but wage rates, comp mods and benefit costs move every year. A model built today and never touched is quietly wrong in two.
05 · Custom trade workbooks
A standalone Excel workbook built for one trade — yours to reuse on every future bid in that trade. See the full lineup on Toolbox, an example spreadsheet, or the consulting context on Consulting.
One flat fee, no annual license or per-seat cost — an alternative to paying every year for takeoff software you may only need a fraction of.
JVI Design — Trade workbook fee · Sheet 01 of 01
| Item | Fee | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Single-trade workbook | $1,200–$2,500 | Scoped to one trade — painting, flooring, tile & stone, masonry or millwork; final fee set by number of assemblies & formula complexity |
| Each additional trade | +$850–$1,500 | When ordered alongside a first workbook |
Flat fee, delivered as a live Excel file with one walkthrough session. Distinct from Package A/B business-wide consulting on Consulting. Each workbook ships with a unique license ID registered to your business and locked to this one purchase — resale or redistribution is prohibited; see Terms, Section 13.
06 · Ongoing client accounts
For contractors sending us plans regularly, an ongoing account holds standing priority and a running balance — no repeat intake, no per-job deposit.
JVI Design — Ongoing account terms · Sheet 01 of 01
| Item | Amount | Remark |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $250 | One-time, non-refundable — sets up the account and standing queue priority |
| Rolling retainer | $1,500 | Held on account; estimating time deducted as it accrues |
| Replenishment trigger | $250 | Balance at or below this line — top-up to $1,500 keeps work moving |
Unused retainer funds are refunded in full if the account closes with all invoices settled. Full terms in the Client Services Agreement.
07 · Common questions
How do I pay?
ACH transfer is preferred and has no processing fee. We also accept QuickBooks eCheck/Bill Pay and paper check. Invoices are due upon receipt.
Can I cancel or get a refund?
Registration fees and Plan Intake Deposits are non-refundable once work begins. Unused retainer balances are refunded in full when an ongoing account closes with invoices settled.
Is a deposit always required?
For scopes over 4,100 SF, a $250 non-refundable Plan Intake Deposit is due before we open the drawings. Smaller jobs are billed at the flat minimums above.
What happens if my retainer runs low?
Once the $1,500 rolling retainer is drawn down to $250, a top-up back to $1,500 is required to keep work and deliverables moving.
Ready to get accurate quantities?
Send your plan set, or ask about a pricing-system package for your business. Full terms are in our Client Services Agreement.